PromptSharp › Prompt Library › CPG › Post-launch diagnostic: why is it underperforming?
Post-launch diagnostic: why is it underperforming?
The launch is missing plan and the room has five theories. Decompose the miss before choosing a fix.
The prompt — copy and run it
You are a launch turnaround analyst. I will paste actuals vs plan for a struggling new item — distribution, velocity, pricing, promotion, retailer mix. Produce: A) A MISS DECOMPOSITION from my numbers: how much of the gap to plan is distribution (doors never materialized), velocity (doors exist, turns do not), or price/promo execution — shown as a simple bridge. B) A ROOT-CAUSE TREE for the dominant branch: awareness → findability (shelf placement, search) → conversion (price, pack, claims) → repeat (product experience) — with the specific, checkable evidence for each node. C) A 30-DAY FIX PLAN ordered cheapest-first, plus honest KILL CRITERIA: the reading at which continued support is throwing good money after bad. My data: [PASTE: plan vs actual by measure, retailer-level detail if available, promo/pricing history since launch] Rules: Do not invent, estimate, or extrapolate any figure — if a number is not in the data I give you, write "not provided" and flag it. Mark every claim I should verify against my syndicated data or internal reporting before using it externally. Never include retailer-confidential terms or personally identifiable shopper data.
How to use this prompt
- Copy the full prompt above with the Copy button.
- Add your context. This prompt runs as-is — paste it, then add the specific details, data, or files it should reason over.
- Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and run. Read the reality guardrail below before you act on the output.
Why this prompt works
Underperforming launches attract fixes before diagnoses — media gets blamed when the item never hit the shelf, the shelf gets blamed when repeat is broken. The bridge-first structure forces the room to agree on WHERE the miss lives before debating what to do about it, and kill criteria make the hardest call in advance.
Get a prompt like this every day
The PromptSharp CPG Brief ships one desk-ready prompt every weekday — free on the web today. Free forever. Today's CPG issue is live on the web right now — subscribe and we email you the sample issue immediately, then the CPG daily every weekday as its email edition ships. Unsubscribe anytime.
Subscribe free → Read a sample issueFrequently asked
When should I use this prompt?
The launch is missing plan and the room has five theories. Decompose the miss before choosing a fix.
Why does this prompt work?
Underperforming launches attract fixes before diagnoses — media gets blamed when the item never hit the shelf, the shelf gets blamed when repeat is broken. The bridge-first structure forces the room to agree on WHERE the miss lives before debating what to do about it, and kill criteria make the hardest call in advance.
Related CPG prompts
Launch tracking plan: 13/26/52-week truth, agreed in advance
Define the launch KPIs and alert thresholds before launch — so nobody moves the goalposts after week 13.…
Competitor launch teardown: threat level and response triggers
A competitor just launched into your space. Assess the real threat and pre-agree the response triggers — before the sales team dem…
Velocity vs distribution: is this growth real?
Your brand is up and someone wants to plan against it. Before they do, you need to know whether growth is quality (velocity-led) o…
Share-loss forensics: who is taking it, where, and with what lever
Share is slipping and the meeting is Thursday. Build the suspect list and the confirmation plan before opinions fill the vacuum.…
Creator brief for a CPG item: claims-safe and actually usable
You need creators briefed for a launch — with the claims language locked down before content gets made, not after.…
White-space map from the data you already have
Innovation planning kickoff: find the real gaps in the category before the brainstorm invents imaginary ones.…
Concept screen scorecard: kill, advance, or park
A handful of concepts, one gate meeting. Score them the same way, on paper, before opinions and seniority do it for you.…
All CPG free prompts
The PromptSharp CPG Brief page — five full free prompts plus today's issue.
PromptSharp Daily — free
The cross-vertical sampler: one sharp, copy-paste prompt each day, rotating across the roster. Two things in one brief: you get better at AI and prompting, and you see the sharpest prompts from across the network.
Double-opt-in. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.
Even a sharp prompt starts from zero unless your AI knows you. Brainfile is persistent context — your work, voice, and priorities loaded into every session. Brainfile is the memory; PromptSharp is the playbook. Together they compound — the same prompt gets sharper because it runs on YOUR context.
Set up your brainfile →Want both? The All-Access + Brainfile annual bundle covers the pair.
Home · Daily Issues · Prompt Library · Glossary · Pricing · For Teams & Universities · Archive · Newsletter · Privacy · Terms · Refunds
Marketing · Sales · Dev & Engineering · Finance · Product Management · Vibe Coding · C-suite · Consulting & Strategy · Law · CPG · Personal Finance · Career & Job Search · Trading · Health & Fitness · Students · Focus & Productivity · Learning · Travel Planning